Crouching Tigress, Hidden Fox
by Karasu87
Summary: After dying, Naruto is given a second chance at life. Burden Free. But can he survive and find love in a crazy new world. With nosy parents, flirty rabbits, a new master and a panda standing in his way? (Second chapter has been revised, rewritten and posted.)
1. Chapter 1

Crouching Tigress, Hidden Fox

Chapter 1: Enter the Drag…um, Fox!

Floating. That was what it felt like. Floating in an endless void. A 16 year old boy floated. Whisker like marks lined his cheeks. He wore an orange and black jacket. Behind his closed eyelids, his eyes moved around in frantic movements. A nightmare perhaps?

He continued to drift there. For what seemed like hours… maybe even days. As he floated, lost in thoughts and visions of his past that flew by, he was unaware of several cloaked figures that watched him. Observing him. They wore black cloaks. Dark black. Just from looking at them, one could mistake them for the clear dark night sky filled with stars.

Another hour seemed to fly by. The boy suddenly gasped and heave as he tried to get air into his lungs. One of the figures looked on in worry. Behind the hood, a pair of glistening green eyes watched the boy. A strand of red hair plopped out and flicked over her left eye. She brushed it back into place. Her eyes never leaving the boy who was still gasping and heaving. She suddenly froze when the boy's blue eyes snapped open and looked around frantically.

His heart started to beat rapidly. All around him was white. He shook his head hoping to clear the whiteness. But then, visions struck him with shocking force. Only these were different than those he had earlier. The cloaked figures also watched as the visions appeared before them like a movie screen. The white walls around them showing everything the boy ever experienced. The boy doesn't notice anything else, only those memories. Of loneliness. Despair. Hopelessness. He held his head. Tears start to drip down his whisker marked cheeks.

After a minute of this, his blue eyes slowly looked up. They could see the visions still assaulted his mind. "My name…" The boy whispered. Visions running a mile a minute. "…is… it's… Naruto. Naruto… Uzumaki…"

He closed his eyes again. He started to mumble names. Jutsu's. His friends. Enemies. Even his parents. The figures watched everything. Everything he named, also appeared before them. The three figures tried to remain stoic, but two of them could be seen trying to hold in their tears. One even failed to. A river flowed from her green eyes.

The visions continued. They saw him doing mission after mission, meeting friends and enemies alike. Betrayal. But the one thing they failed to see, was actual love. Not the love from his friends, but an actual romance. A sudden scream caused them to quickly turn back towards the floating boy. He held his chest. Tears still flowed down his cheeks.

"I'm…" The boy gasped out. His right hand gripped at his chest. He slowly opened his orange jacket. His eyes widened. There wasn't a scar, wound or blemish there.

"Dead?" A female voice whispered. One of the cloaked figures stepped, um…floated forward and stood behind the floating boy. "Kind of…" Naruto slowly turned around… or tried to as was still floating. A scream broke from his throat when he flipped upside down.

"Ahh!" He flipped again. He flapped his arms in hopes to steady himself. He even kicked his legs in a swimming motion. After a few minutes of trying to get steady, a giggle was heard. But before he could glance around, he screamed when he suddenly stopped in place. "What…?" He flipped upwards until he was technically on his feet, but still floating. Before him, three figures floated. One of which had it's hand outstretched towards him. The figure lowered its hand and pulled the hood down. Blue hair floated down and flowed, almost like she was underwater. Her gorgeous and luminous eyes watched him with warmth. His eyes widened at the beautiful woman.

"As I said… you're kind of dead." The woman spoke. Her voice was beyond angelic. He felt calmed just from the sound. But then his eyes grew wider as he remembered something important. Something before he woke to a white room.

"Kakashi!" He tried to stand, but only managed to float an inch to his left. He tried to swim, but didn't managed to move that far.

"Don't worry, Naruto…" The woman spoke, and once again, he felt himself calmed down. "You and Kakashi managed to take out his old friend."

"Sasuke…?" Naruto asked. He stopped trying to swim away. What's the point? "What happened to him?"

"No matter how much he denied it…" The woman answered. "You were his friend. Your death changed something inside him."

Naruto gave a faint smile and looked down. Figures. Only his death, did his friend see the light. After a few seconds, he turned back to the woman. "My name. How do you…?"

A smirk crossed the woman's lips. "My dear boy… I know everything…" She quickly did a pose. Her hands were in the air and her right foot was stuck out. "For I am… Kami!"

One of the cloaked figures slapped his face, while the other figure let out a sigh. "For the love of…"

"You can't be serious…" Naruto asked with a deadpanned expression. After all, he has met with many people that has called themselves Kami, and were handed a beat down by yours truly.

"I am very serious!" A light bulb flashed above the woman's head. "Just watch!" The woman yelled out, then slowly she started to take off into the sky. She flew around Naruto, unaware that her robe was starting to loosen and she has started to flash the group. One of the figures could be seen drooling, but was slapped upside the head by the person next to him. After a minute, she landed with a triumphant grin. "Well…?"

_Large… _Naruto shook the blush from his face, and stared at her. "You do realize that in this room… I can do that too?" Naruto crossed his arms and sat Indian style. He just floated before the group.

"He's got you there." A male voice laughed. Kami just huffed, but smiled, indicating she was actually just trying to cheer everyone up.

_That voice!_ Naruto turned to the figure. He stared hard. So hard, that the figure started to shuffle from being uncomfortable. "Dad?"

The figure gave a nervous chuckle, then the hood slipped off. Blond hair stood up. Bright eyes that matched his own. And a smirk that people called 'the lady killer'.

"Um… yo!" The Yondaime greeted. He took a page out of Kakashi's book, and gave an eye smile with his hand up in the peace sign.

Naruto just looked confused. "How?" The other cloaked figure lightly punched his father in the shoulder, then slowly removed the hood. Crimson red hair went past her shoulders. Her lovely green eyes held a gentle, but mischievous nature. She turned to Naruto. A motherly smile grew on her face. "Mom…?"

Kushina floated towards her son. She brought up a shaky hand, and gently ruffled his hair. "My baby…" Her voice sounded hoarse. She caressed his face. Minato floated to his other side and bent down. "…to die so young…"

Minato frowned. It reminded him of his own student, Rin. Died at a young age, and that changed Kakashi… and Obito. He shook his head. "You saved a lot of lives…"

Naruto looked down. "The last time I saw you two…" He remembered punching his father, and yelling at his mother because he thought she was Kyuubi.

"We know…" Kushina told him. "We will have plenty of time…" She turned a loving look to Minato as well. It doesn't seem like it, but Kami brought them together just after Naruto died. "…as a fmily."

The three reunited family members start to hug. A hug that has been long overdue. But after what seemed like hours upon hours, a cough interrupted them. They turned to the culprit. Only to see the Goddess of the Shinobi world tapping her foot.

"I hate to interrupt…" Kami began. She brushed some blue hair from her face. "But there has been a change of plans…"

Minato and Kushina looked confused. When they were brought together when their son died, they were told they'd be able to live in an after life paradise. As a family. They started to get angry. Naruto just looked between the three, already missing the hug.

"What do you mean _Change of plans?!_" Minato started.

"You told us we will live in a paradise as a family." Kushina finished for her husband.

"It's been decided." Kami gave a smile, which they didn't understand. "That Naruto will be given a second chance at life. Without his burden. Without hatred. A completely new life."

"What?" Naruto asked after silence descended on the group. But as soon as that word left his lips, he was wrapped up in another hug.

"Before you stat to yell in joy." Kami interrupted another hug. Her hair floated around in the invisible water. "Only Naruto will be giving the second chance."

"Then…" Kushina broke from the hug and stared at the only other female.

"Don't worry…" Kami placated the irate woman. "You and your husband will be given a personal piece of heaven." Minato and Kushina gasped. "You will be able to live inside Naruto's mindscape. Help him. Comfort him. Train. Talk. Watch." She smiled. "And if you need some alone time… you can travel to your paradise. But I assume you will probably stay with Naruto…" Before she could finish, Kushina had pulled her two favorite males into another hug.

"Looks like we're staying a family." Kushina whispered into their ears. Naruto smiled, but a question came to him.

"Will we go back to Konoha?" Naruto asked. He peaked at Kami from the hug.

"I'm sorry… but you're dead there." She saw Naruto look down. Kushina and Minato separated and looked at their son in concern. Kami smirked. "You will start a new life. Burden free. No demon. You can be what you want to be there."

"A new life…" Naruto mumbled to himself.

"In your world, it has been a year since you died." Naruto quickly looked up at that. "Everyone is slowly trying to move on. Hinata has decided to live on for you. Neji told her that. Gaara has decided to name his first child after you when that time comes. Sasuke is a mercenary now, but still looks after Konoha. But Sakura…"Kami shook her head. "She never moved on. And she never even looks twice at Sasuke." Naruto looked down. "As a favor… I will appear to her in a dream. Is there anything you want me to say?"

Naruto looked up, while his parents look on in silence. "Tell her… she will always be like a sister to me. And I will always love her."

"I'll give her hints that you're well." Kami smiled. …_but I think it's best if you appeared in her dreams. And I have a way for that to happen…_

"So… what is this new world like?" Naruto asked. His parents also perked up at that.

Behind Kami, a picture started to form. A lush and beautiful planet appeared. "The Kami of this planet allowed you to live a second life." The blue haired beauty told him. "But as for what the planet will actually look like… I'll leave that as a surprise." The three family members face faulted at that.

"Troublesome…" Naruto mumbled as he floated upwards. His parents just chuckled at the Nara catchphrase. Looks like it will continue to live on.

"I want you to find someone named Master Panther…" Kami brought up her left hand, and using her gold painted nails, she tapped her chin. "He will likely find you first. He's a lively old panther… I visited him in a dream not long ago…"

Naruto blinked. He was confused at the 'Panther' thing. "How…? You were here with us."

"Because…" She brought her golden nails up to his face and tapped Naruto's nose. Naruto felt a surge of something, but shook it off. "I'm the almighty…"

"Stop it!" The three family members shouted when they saw her getting into the famous Might Guy pose.

"Hehe… fine then…" Kami hid a chuckle as her shoulders slumped. After a few seconds of fake pouting, she turned a smile to the three former Shinobis. "I have to warn you… this word is drastically different than your former world. And… you new body will take some time to get used to."

Naruto smiled, and gave her a thumbs up. His teeth sparkled and glinted. "Nothing I can't handle!" He stayed in that pose, until a hand smacked the back of his head. "Itai!"

Naruto rubbed the bump that slowly started to grow on his head. "Never do _that _again! It took a while to get your father out of that phase." A twitch was in Kushina's eyes. She remembered a young kid that always wore green and kept shouting about youth. Plus, she saw a little mini-me of that kid in her sons memories. Did he actually have a child? She shivered.

Minato floated over to Naruto, all the while rubbing an imaginary bump on his head. "She overreacts. A lot."

"Tell me about it… reminds me of Sakura…" Naruto grunted out, still rubbing his head.

"It's time…" Kami glided around them. And just as she snapped her fingers, both Kushina and Minato vanished in a flash of light. Before they could even blink.

Naruto looked around. His parents were gone. And he felt a surge in his body. "What…?"

Kami stepped before Naruto. She bent down, and Naruto blushed again as he got a look at her cleavage. He even leaned forward to get a better look. Kami brought up a hand and reached for Naruto's hair, and plucked a piece of fuzz from it. She flicked it to the side.

"Don't worry. I just sent them to your mindscape." She pressed her index finger to his forehead. And slowly, particles exploded from his feet.

"Will I be able to use Jutsu's again?" Naruto's legs completely vanished, with his pelvic region disappearing as well as his stomach and arms.

"Afraid not. But… you may be able to relearn the Rasengan by using the new energy in this world." Naruto's torso is only a few seconds from vanishing. "Live… and remember that this is a new start." Before his head vanishes, Kami gave a light smile… or was it a smirk? "And don't forget to find love."

And so, Naruto had vanished from the void. No trace he was even there. Kami stretched and stared at where the Uzumaki family were just at. But a few seconds later, she turned to the large wall as a picture began to form. A box of popcorn appeared before her. And a sofa appeared behind her.

"That's more like it…" She sat on the Sofa. But on the screen, was a landscape. Greenery everywhere. "You'll be happier here. I can't wait to see how well this one plays out." She flicked a piece of popcorn in the air. "If my breasts can affect you that bad… how well can you handle your future friends?" She opened her mouth and the popcorn flew in. She snapped down and smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The Land of the Living…

"Ugh… my head…" Naruto groaned. He sat up, or tried to. He flopped back onto his back. From his grounded position, he looked around and saw that he was on a grassy hill. How long has it been since he felt the soft grass between his toes, or the cool breeze that hit his face, one that didn't have a stench of decay in it? He inhaled the air, and noticed it was fresher than it was in his world. No stench of blood or decay. The grass was pure green. Not faded or trampled.

He shook his head and tried to stand again. His knees popped as he stood up. His legs wobbled. "…where…" He grew confused, and wondered why he felt grass on his legs. He glanced down and his eyes widened. Where there used to be skin, and pants, were fur. Yellow fur. His pants were in tatters. His orange jacket was barely hanging on. His undershirt was all but gone. He reached up to scratch his head, only to pause when he felt something. His ears weren't there, but a pair of pointed things were now on his head.

He brought his down and scratched his chin. That was when he saw something on his face. He crossed his eyes, and he saw something furry where his nose should be. Or used to be. A muzzle. A cross between light brown and yellow. He brought his hands, only to freeze. Two paws now sat where his hands should be.

"Of course…" Naruto nodded to himself, then suddenly waved the appendages back and forth as he tried to shake the things off. And cue him running in a circle on wobbly legs. He screamed in hysteria. And if one would listen closely, you could hear a heavenly voice laughing at his expense. After several minutes of him running around, a familiar voice was heard.

"_Naruto!"_ A female voice echoed. He froze mid-wobble. _"Stop acting like a moron!"_

"_In his defense…I would also be running around like headless chicken…" _A male voice spoke up, only for a smack to interrupt his next words. _"Itai!"_

"Mom? Dad?" Naruto asked as he took note of his new body. He now had yellow fur. His muzzle was a light brown and he had a very light reddish brown spot on his stomach. He had reddish brown splotches on his paws, but to him, they looked orange. His blue eyes were darker and resembled the ocean. His yellow ears stuck straight up, and at the tip, it was reddish brown. He glanced behind him and saw a yellow tail that had a reddish brown tip.

"_It's us, sweetheart." _Kushina said from the recess of his mind. She could feel the heavy and fast rhythm of his heart. _"You must calm down…_

"Calm down?" He plopped down on the grassy hill. "Look at me! I'm a fox! Nothing short of a monster!" He slammed his paw onto the ground, and his parents were surprised to see a crater in its wake. "Find love? What a joke…"

"_Don't say things like that, Naruto!" _Kushina told him. _"We will always be with you… and nothing will ever change that."_

Naruto just sat in silence as he absorbed what his mother said. The sun was still up high, and he could feel the warmth soaking his fur. He took a deep breath. The flowery aroma from nearby made him smile. Smelled exactly like the Yamanaka Flower Shop he always stopped at.

"_Son…" _Minato piped up. He saw his son had calmed down, but he also noticed something that would help the situation. _"Look to your left."_

Naruto tilted his head, and obeyed his father. He turned his head, and his eyes widened at the sight of a village further down below. Using his fox-like eye sight, he saw the occupants of said village. "They're…" He saw the villages interacting, just like the did in Konoha.

"_Animals…" _Kushina finished for him. She finally noticed them as well. She turned a light glare to her husband for not saying anything before.

Naruto continued to stare at the lively place. A warm feeling flowed through his chest. From inside, his parents were startled by that.

"I think…" Naruto spoke. The warm feeling continued. His parents shared a smile. "I may like it here… like I belong, for once. I'm not different…"

From inside the mindscape, Minato and Kushina shared a glance. They remembered from the memories, their son was an outcast. No one gave him any recognition until he was saved the village, not one, but many times. But here, acceptance. The could feel the warmth spread throughout their sons body. It also embraced them as if it was a hug.

After a few minutes of silence, a growl startled the family. Naruto rubbed his head with a nervous chuckle. A blush adorned his fur. His parents chuckled, completely unaware of a presence creeping up behind them like a snake.

Naruto rubbed his stomach. It gave one last, desperate growl. "Ah… wonder what kind of food they have here…" He scratched his ear and it twitched. "Do they even eat meat? Hmm… hope they have ramen…" He glanced back over to the village. The sun was starting to descend. He stared at the orange majestic glow that appeared over the village. "It's…"

"Beautiful…" A voice spoke for him from his right. Naruto's hair stood up and he nearly leapt from his fur. He knew it wasn't his parents. His ears twitched. He didn't even pick up on any footsteps. He quickly turned to his right, only to see nothing. He scratched his head, then looked down. A short, old anthro panther stood there. He had his paws behind him as he stared at the descending sun. The newcomer had purple fur. Large brown eyes. An emerald cane was gripped in his right hand. The handle was curved and it had a dragon engraved on it.

"_How did he…" _The former Hokage stated. He noticed the village not long after Naruto went crazy. But this panther… how long had he been there?

The panther turned an eye to the young fox. Said eye looked him up and down. The panther opened his slightly fanged mouth, and licked his chops. A few 'Hmms' came from him as well. "You must be Naruto."

_Please don't eat me!_ Naruto mumbled, but only his parents heard him. He gulped, but then shook his head when he noticed the panther used his named. "How… how do you know my name?"

The small panther, which only came up to Naruto's stomach, gave a fanged smile. "That… very, very pretty lady. A goddess, or something, she said. She told me to train you…" The panther scratched his bearded chin. He walked around the fox, all the while eyeing him like a hawk. Naruto gulped at feeling like an 'all you can eat buffet'. "I don't see why…" The panther stopped before him and once more, scratched his beard. Which was about four inches in length. "Said you were also a ninja." He looked at Naruto with a deadpanned expression. "You look nothing like one."

Naruto growled, which actually surprised him. It was animalistic, and felt very natural. "I'll have you know… I can take on anyone you can throw at me!" Naruto declared. He threw a few punches into the air, and was also surprised by his new agility. The panther watched the fists fly over his head.

Minato slapped his forehead as he watched the events. Kushina just chuckled. The stubbornness reminded her of her own youth.

"Really?" The panther asked. He wasn't shocked by the declaration. He gave a slight tilt of the head. "Hit me."

Naruto froze mid-punch. He glanced down at the old panther. A serious look was in those brown eyes. "Say what…?" A question mark hovered over Naruto's head. _Is he senile? I'll break something in him… as long as those teeth stay off my fur… _But in the mindscape, his parents knew where this was headed. They saw it numerous times.

"I said… 'hit me'." The panther repeated. A fanged smirk on his dark purple muzzle. "Hard of hearing, are ya?"

"I _am _not going to hit you." Naruto looked down at the small panther. He struggled to remain his stoic face, but a slight rumbling sound caused his face to become red. Panther smiled at that. He rememberd something that Naruto mentioned before.

"Hit me… and you will get some of that 'ramen'…" At first, it didn't seem like the bribe worked, but then it happened. A growl erupted from Naruto's stomach again.

"Ramen…?" Naruto mumbled. Minato just shook his head. It's the bell test all over again. Naruto's was beginning to drool.. He shook his head, and stared down at the panther. "Fine! …your funeral…"

Naruto flexed his right arm. He took a fighting stance that Guy-sensei once taught him. He placed his right fist forward. While his left fist was near his chest. It felt weird, in his new body. Sloppy. But that didn't stop him. He just shook it off and popped his neck with a grin. He saw the panther take a few steps back. His grin got wider. He got ready to charge.

But before he could even move, the old panther had moved faster than even Rock Lee. He was only a purple blur. His eyes barely caught sight of the purple panther. He sucked in a breath when the panther appeared to his left. He swung his arm backwards, only for the panther to vanish. He leapt back, or tried to, as something wrapped around Naruto's foot. And with a sudden pull, gravity did it's job. Naruto slammed hard onto his back. Stars swirled around his head. But to his parents, they saw little chibi foxes running around their son's head.

"Tsk…tsk…tsk…" The panther looked down at the dizzy fox. He placed the end of his cane onto Naruto's stomach. "You're too slow…"

From the mindscape, Minato looked on in amazement. It was beyond astonishment.

"_Whoa… Sarutobi needed to take out a page from the old panthers book…" _Minato whistled.

Kushina nodded. _"I believe our son will learn a lot from him…"_

"_The speed of Guy. The casualness of Kakashi…" _Minato listed. _"… the smarts and wisdom of Sarutobi…"_

"… _let's hope he isn't perverted as them either…" _Kushina flipped her red hair back. _"… or else…"_

Back outside, the panther had started to poke the growling stomach with his cane. "Training begins tomorrow at dawn." He started walking away, but paused and looked over his shoulder. "Come. I will see if Su can make us some food."

At the mention of food. Naruto shook off his dizziness and ran after the old panther. Once he caught up, they walked side by side. "So…um…what do I call you?"

Hmm? Everyone around here calls me…" He glanced to Naruto, then back down the trail they were now following. "…Master Panther!"

Naruto suddenly tripped over his own feet. _That was… disappointing… _The three family members had thought as one. Kushina slapped her face, she finally noticed that they all forgot that Kami had mentioned an old panther and he would find them.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto had thought they were going to the village he saw. But down the trail, there was a sign with arrows on it. And he found he could actually read the languages here. And instead of taking the trail to the village, they took the trail that the arrow indicated was a temple.

They came upon a large area. It was one of the mountain ranges that was near the village. Panther pointed down, and he could see the village more clearly.

"Welcome… to the village of Yang." Master Panther announced, then he continued to walk. Naruto gave one last look at the village, making a promise to explore and maybe, prank, the place when he has the chance.

After five minutes of walking, they came upon a temple near the top of the mountain. It almost looked like the fire temple he saw back in his world. Trees surrounded the place. His ears picked up the sound of rushing water and a splash. He looked up and saw an area above the temple. Fog and smoke were coming from it. Using his new sense of smell, he picked up the scent of water and fish.

"Wow…" Naruto breathed out. His parents mirrored him. He glanced upwards and saw the sun going down, and the moon showing it's face.

"This is where I train my students. But only those I deem worthy." Master panther entered the templed. Naruto shook from his thoughts and quickly followed. "It's not as great as my colleagues… but it's home." As they walk down the hall, Naruto caught sight of several pictures. His eyes paused on one picture. It had Master Panther standing near another person. A red panda if he remembered right. "That's Master Shifu… we have… something like a rivalry going on." Naruto nodded. He could relate to that. "We made a bet to see who can train the best student…" He pointed to the pictures that lined the wall. They all had Panther with a different person. "…but I never found a worthy student."

"You never finished training a student?" Naruto scratched his left ear. He looked at the pictures. Some of the students were large, while some were athletic. He saw a picture of a cute girl next to Panther. He shook his head when Panther started walking again.

"Some failed the first test. But most, they failed the final one." Panther glanced to the pictures one last time.

"What's the test?" Curiosity had taken over both Naruto and Kushina. They just had to know.

"That would be spoiling… now wouldn't it? You'll find out as your training progresses." They stopped at a sliding door. "This will be your room." Naruto slid the door open and glanced around. It was a good sized room. Some paintings lined the wooden walls. In the corner, he saw a pile of blankets.

"Spacious…" Naruto replied. But to his parents, they saw his memories and knew that this room was a lot bigger than the place he had when he was a human.

"You can use the waterfall in the back to clean up." Panther turned around and headed down the hall.

_Waterfall…? _Naruto thought. His thoughts flashed back to an even when he was thirteen. He was on a mission with Team 8, and he stopped by a water fall. Kushina grew a tick as she saw her sons thoughts, she turned to Minato, only for her tick to grow bigger. _Can't believe that was Hinata… I wonder if…_

"_Son!" _Kushina yelled out. Her voice startled both her son and husband who were in their own little world._ "Clean your nose and follow your teacher!"_

_Oh! Right…_ Naruto shook his head and followed after his new master. His nose caught a certain strange scene, but he shook it off. As he disappeared from the hall, a figured walked out of one of the others room. She slid the door closed and looked to where Naruto had left to. The shadows and darkness covered most of her features, but she had long ears. Very long. And so were her legs. If she would've jumped, she could've leaped over the temple without a problem. She tilted her head in confusion when the sounds of Naruto's talking reached her ears.

"Hmm…?" A small smile grew on her face. She giggled and started walking in the other direction.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto raised an eyebrow, um…fur, when Master Panther stopped before him. He glanced upwards, and stared at the cascading water. The water fell into a small lake, he had to stop himself from jumping in. He sniffed, and could taste the freshness of it. The moonlight that shone on the surface of the lake made it look heavenly. The falling water caused ripples in the lake that ripped through the moons reflection. In the middle of the lake sat several stone. Water cascaded onto them. He smiled when a cool splash struck him in the muzzle.

"I'll bring you some clothes. I hope you don't mind, but I think it's best if you trained shirtless." He saw Naruto nod at that. He preferred being shirtless and feeling the open air on him. Naruto walked closer to the lake and looked down. "While you clean, I'll see if Su will make us something. Perhaps some ramen?" He decided to walk away with a smile, since Naruto appeared to be distracted. The goddess that appeared in his dream, also told him what ramen is. So, he passed the knowledge onto his other temple-mate.

Naruto gripped his muzzle and lifted up the lips. Fangs and a long tongue greeted him. He touched his reflection, and it rippled at the touch. He reached up and flicked his ears with his clawed hands. Kushina and Minato watched in quiet anticipation.

After a few moments, he nodded to himself. "I don't look that bad." He took off his shirt and slid off his pants and underwear. He stepped into the lake, which came to his stomach, and the coolness of the water made his paws shiver. He made his way through the water, when a vision hits him. He saw a shadowy figure dancing on top of the clear lake. He remembered Hinata again. Kushina slapped her face. He walked over to the rocks, the water kept splashing him. He raised a paw and let the falling water hit him. "Hope I don't smell like a wet dog after this… definitely don't want to be like Kiba."

He placed his head under the falls and the feeling of it soaking into his fur was a feeling he couldn't describe. He leaned back and using his tongue, he slurped up the cool water. _Refreshing…_ The water dripped from his muzzle, and he saw it splashed down near his stomach. And that was when a new question entered his mind. _Did… every part of me… change?_ Minato and Kushina froze. Naruto reached down into the water, and his eyes widened.

Kushina had to force her eyes closed. Minato just slapped his face. Naruto shook himself from his thoughts as he found himself… pleasuring himself. He took a deep breath and settled himself onto a rock. He slid back and just let the water run over his body. He just relaxed, and the feeling of the water just made him forget all of his past troubles. He glanced to his paws, then with a new idea, he unsheathed then and started to massage his scalp. He glanced to the stone near him, only to do a double take with wide eyes. It was a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap. The same ones that were in his apartment when he died. He glanced upwards, and could've sworn he saw a face in the moon. It resembled Sakura.

He shook his head, and sent water flying. He grabbed the shampoo and saw that it was full. He popped the lid and poured the liquid over his fur. He hoped his new master won't be upset that his gorgeous lake will soon be covered by bubbles.

Spreading the shampoo through his fur, he relished at the new feeling. He scratched around his ears, and moaned. _Now I know why Akamaru love to be scratched behin the ears. _Naruto brought his other paw to his head, and scratch both ears with his eyes rolled back. Minato just sweat dropped while Kushina was busy taping her eyes shut.

XXXXXXXXXXX

In the dining area of the temple, Naruto's new Master sat there. Waiting for the food to be cooked. The smell waft through his nose. He glanced over to the source of the delicious smell. A female rabbit stood there. She hummed a song as she stirred noodles that were boiling in a large pot. Her yellowish brown fur glowed from the light of the fire. Her long ears were tied together and hung down her back. Her light green eyes shone brightly.

"Master…" She lifted up a wooden spoon and gently took a sip of the broth. She smile, then turned back to the small panther. "Who was that other voice I heard earlier?"

Panther stared at the wooden table before him. His ears picked up footsteps. "That would be my newest student. I mentioned him earlier…" He glanced to the wall, but had to do a double take. A picture of Master Shifu stared back with a raised brow. _When did…_

The rabbit paused in her cooking, then turned her eyes to the old master. "I still can't believe _you _took another student." She knew not to ask why. He always had an answer. And each was the same. 'I see something in special in them'. But she didn't expect his newest answer.

"This one is different." The ancient master managed to say after a few moments. He tore his eyes from Shifu's picture. "He has more potential than the others."He heard the footsteps pause at the door. "A potential that his other life took from him. Only time will tell for sure…" He saw the girl look down at that. He nodded his head. "What's done is done. You have another talent. One that was right before your eyes."

"Master…" The rabbit looked into the masters eyes. They were gentle and kind. As she turned back to her cooking, she thought about what that 'other life' meant. She looked confused, until the boy they were talking about entered. His fur was soaked, and water dripped onto the floor. His tail was very poofy, the sole female in the temple had to suppress a chuckle at that. His tower was draped over his shoulders. He was shirtless, and wore brown pants with an orange string as a belt. A light blush was seen under her fur.

In his mindscape, Kushina opened an eye and saw the blush on the rabbit. She brought up her finger and tapped her chin as she began to ponder things.

"Naruto… this is Su. She's the top cook in the village. She also stays here." Panther introduced. Su gave a small bow, which Naruto returned. She giggled when the towel slipped off his shoulder and plopped onto the floor. "And Su… my newest student, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto grabbed the towel and stood back up. He laughed sheepishly, and quickly took his seat at the table. "It's nice to…" He faded off when a smell drifted through his snout. A smell that could only come from the gods. "Is that…"

Su shook off her blush. She grabbed a large spoon and scooped up some of the soup. She placed them into two bowls. Naruto watched the steam pour from the bowls.

"Oh… um…" She placed the bowls in front of Master and Student. She closed her eyes and gave a wide smile. "Hope it's to your satisfaction!"

Panther lifted his chopstick and stared at the noodles. "It's just noodles…" He mumbled, then turned an eye to Naruto… who was currently slurping up the last drop of his soup. _Fast…_

Naruto held out his bowl. "More please!"

Su looked with wide eyes. She had barely made it to the pot before he called out. She grabbed his bowl and placed another serving into it. Panther took a sip of his soup, but in his mind, he was picturing the best training methods for his new pupil. A smile grew on his face.

Naruto paused in his 'slaughter' of the noodle kind. He shuddered for some reason, but just passed it off as the wind, and dug back in, unaware of the smile on Panther's face, or Su staring with wide eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Naruto found himself on top of a hill. A very large grassy hill… with sharp, pointed and steep edges on each side. He stood on a wobbly boulder, in the middle of the hill. Failure to balance, would result in a bandaged young fox.

"Why am I…" The rock slid a little from the vibration. Naruto flapped his arms in order to regain balance. "… on this stupid hill!"

"First lesson…" Panther yelled over. He sat safely on a grassy plain that overlooked Naruto. The only thing separating them was the very steep hill. "…patience."

"Pantience!" Naruto started to yell, but slipped a little. "I thought the first lesson was discipline!" He frowned. He already learned all of this when he trained with the toads.

"_Remember, Naruto… you're in a new world." _His father told him. _"A new body, and no chakra. You have to start all over…" _Naruto grew a deep frown.

"Really…?" Panther scratched his head. A hidden smirk was on his face. "You will learn both from this."

Naruto froze when he finally got the rock steady. "How will this teach me… patience…?" Naruto asked, but his eyes grew wider when he saw a Butterfly had landed on the rock. It started to lean.

Panther lifted up his cane. "You will learn patience…" Panther admired his cane. "Once you learn how to avoid distractions!" And with that, he threw his cane with all of his might.

"_Naruto!" _His parents yelled.

"What…?" Naruto turned away from the butterfly, only to have the cane slam into his face. The rock slipped from under him, and he lost his balance. Panther watched as Naruto rolled down the hill. The rock was right behind him. "Son of a b-!"

A crack was heard when the rock crashed down the hill. Panther flinched. "You were distracted by the butterfly while you were trying to steady the rock." Panther explained. Su walked over to him with a steamy mug. She grew large eyes when she tried to look for Naruto, only to hear a grown from down the chasm-like hill. Su looked down the hill in concern. "Fine… five more minutes, then we try again…" Another groan erupted from down the hill.

"Are you sure about this?" Su asked. She handed Panther the mug. "I don't remember the other students doing this…"

Panther took a sip from the mug. "I needed a regime that would fit him. Something like he had in his old life. Something he needs."

"But…" She heard another moan. "…how will this teach him patience?"

"It won't." Panther replied.

"Wha…"

"He will never learn patience." Panther interrupted her. "This is a test. To see if he has, what I think he has." He turned back to the hill. Naruto was there. He was rolling the boulder back up the hill. A look of determination on his face. "I refuse to change who he is or alter his personality. But, this will also… hopefully… teach him to pay attention…"

Su looked on in awe as Naruto was about to reach the top. The boulder was twice his size. Her look of awe quickly turned to worry when Naruto slipped on a wet patch of grass.

Panther raised a brow. Yeah, his newest student needed to learn how to avoid distractions and pay attention to his surroundings.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared at the room before him. His eyes wide with fear. Spikes littered the walls. A flaming fire pike was on the floor. Spiked rollers were spinning every which way. A grassy platform was right before him, and at the start of everything. Panther stood beside him. He was looking around the room with pride. Su had already left to go prepare lunch, and prepare the first aid items.

"A test of agility…" Panther explained. He just smiled when Naruto gulped. "You start from this grassy area, and must reach the end of the room." He nodded in a sagely manner.

"Um… not a problem…" Naruto gulped. He slowly trudged forward. But everything froze when he saw his worst enemy before him. A butterfly had flown in through the open doors and had landed on the platform. But his eyes nearly flown out of there sockets when the platform rose up and slammed into the ceiling. Once the platform lowered, he saw the butterfly flap around in a drunken manner. It lives to fight another day. Naruto gulped as the insect flew past him. _No wonder his students didn't past the final test! They never got that far! _His parents just nod in agreement. They were secretly amazed by Panther's training style.

* * *

This is the rewritten and revised first chapter. Currently rewriting chapter 2, and also working on chapter 3 and 4.


	2. Chapter 2

Crouching Tigress, Hidden Fox

Chapter 2: Bonds

Naruto stretched, then let out a sigh of pleasure. He sat on the stone that had become his favorite place in the little lake. The water cascaded onto his head, he shuddered from the feeling. His aching muscles were finally starting to feel better. After a very long day of training, he enjoyed the feeling.

He glanced upwards. Past the splashing water, and past the trees that settled on the cliff above, he saw the moon. A peaceful sight to his eyes. An image appeared on the moon, and a smile lit up his muzzle. It's been about three years since his arrival on this strange and familiar world. A lot has happened. And he also found himself thinking of Su. The strange bunny that seemed to blush a lot. She had become a very close friend, someone who understood him. She was an orphan, enjoys food as much as him and actually enjoys his company.

_I'll never understand women… _He grunted out. He opened his muzzle and drank some of the water that cascaded over his head.

"_Just like your father…" _Kushina commented with a slight chuckle.

"_What?" _Both father and son asked at the same time. Kushina laughed.

"_You two really need to learn the working of a female mind!" _Kushina laughed out. _"Be more feminine!"_

"_Hey… we know a lot about what goes on in the female mind! Big… plump… female minds…" _Minato stared hard at Kushina's chest. But that daydream was interrupted by a loud slap, followed by an _"Itai!"_

"_No wonder our son is turning into a pervert…and I've seen his thoughts! It's because of y-" _Kushina was suddenly interrupted by a different kind of _smack_. _"What was that for?"_

"_Just appreciating the… female _mind_." _Was Minato's reply.

"_Really? Well, I _dare _you to do that again!" _Kushina growled out.

Naruto twitched as the sound of the argument started to sound a lot like… moaning? His eyes widened, and he quickly yelled back. _Hey! You two better not be doing what I think you're doing! _Another moan was heard. He quickly cut the connection. _Gross…_

He frantically shook off that mental image, and slid down into the water. He slid deeper into the water until it came up to his chest. He let out a moan. The warm water soaked through his fur. His eyes closed as he started to think about the recent years of training he has been doing. He was unaware of a figure that just stepped into the water…

XXXXXXXXXXX

_A Month ago…_

_Naruto stood atop a large boulder. Around him, flames exploded from the darkened and burnt ground. Steam rose from the ground. Any minute now, and that ground will be covered with Lava._

_Our favorite fox whistled as he observed the inside of the large and very active volcano. Even his parents observed the volcano with awe, well, worry too. They really wanted to know what Panther wanted to meet Naruto in this place._

"_Yo!" A voice spoke from beside Naruto and nearly caused him to fall into the steamy ground before him._

"_Don't do that!" Naruto yelled at his master once he regained his balance, and composure. He saw Panther right next to him, using his boulder._

"_Do what?" Master Panther asked with a question mark over his head._

"…" _Naruto started to say something, but shook his head and settled for, "Have I told you… that you remind me of someone?"_

_Pather smiled. His fangs poked out. "Every day."_

_Naruto shook his head. A bubble formed on the blacked ground, and just like a gun… it made a loud __bang__. Lava rushed from the burnt ground. Naruto backed away, and just stared at the sight._

"_Never mind! But how the hell is __this __training?"_

"…_this volcano is special. It has what we call a volcano batter at the center of it." Panther explained. He ignored the popping sounds nearby._

"_Volcano battery? This thing is about to explode!" Naruto yelled in a panic. He was prepared to bolt when a cane suddenly crashed onto his head. "Itai!" Panther wondered why the boy always said that when he gets clocked on the head. Probably a force of habit from his world. Naruto plopped on the boulder. He nursed a large bump that had slowly grew on his head. He narrowed his eyes at the perpetrator._

"_If it explodes, the battery will be lost under a sea of flames…" Panther glanced around. He saw several boulders that were lined up. And now to get the gullible fox to believe him, since all the 'battery' is, is a special diamond. It can be useful, mainly to heat up the hot springs. "Batteries are very rare, valuable and can last for ages. I've been meaning to retrieve this one, but was occupied. Volcano batteries have a multitude of uses. Heating a bath, keeping a stove heated… and lets not forget warming up water for those __yummy __noodles you like…"_

"_Ramen…?" Naruto shook his head to get rid of the thought bubble that floated over his head. A determined look grew on his face. He glanced around and saw the lined up boulders. He was just about to leap to the rocks, but a question entered his mind. "How will I get it out of there?"_

"_Oh…I believe you will find a way." Panther leapt onto another boulder. It wobbled , but didn't sink into the lake of Lava. "Good luck!" Panther started to leap away. "If you survive… I'll be waiting outside."_

"_Say what!" Naruto looked around. He was inside the volcano. It was getting very hard to breathe…the lava was slowly rising….and he stood on top of a floating rock. "He's like a… an ugly, shorter, older and senile version of Kakashi!"_

"_Harsh…" __Minato commented. Across dimensions, Kakashi somehow started to feel very depressed for no reason._

"_Alright… I survive every ounce of insane training that little devil put me through! This is no different!" He yelled and threw his fist in the air. The boulder wobbled. He blinked. A butterfly flew by. "Oh, no! Not again! Damn butterfly… omen thing!" Naruto took a deep breath, then he leapt onto a nearby boulder. It wobbled and sizzled in the lava. He nearly slipped, but caught himself. He nose wriggled as a smell swirled around him. Was that burnt fur? He saw small spouts of fire that shot up like a fountain. "Okay… remember the training…" He took another breath to calm his nerves. He leapt to another boulder, then another one. As he jumped, his eyes caught sight of his feet, where a faint blue glow covered them. It looked like…_

"_Focus!" Kushina yelled. Her voice startled him._

_His eyes shot up. Then, he quickly leapt to the side and landed onto the hard dirt. Just as a bubble of lava exploded where he was just at. He stood up and quickly dusted himself off. He glanced back to where his master was, and saw that he leapt across the entire field of lava. He took a glance to his feet, only to see them back to normal. Except for some burnt fur._

What was that? _He thought to himself. He could even feel the confusion coming from his parents, and they monitor the inside of his body._

"_Any idea…?" Minato asked his wife._

"_Maybe. But it's too early to tell." Was Kushina's answer with a thoughtful look on her face._

_Naruto took another look around the area he was now in. It looked like a cavern of some sort. It had several openings, along with tunnels. One of the tunnels had a dark red glow that came from it. He knew where to go, so with a sigh, he marched forth._

_As he traveled through the tunnel, sweat began to drip from his fur. The further in he got, the hotter it became. A part of him, kind of missed Snow Country, which was now Spring Country. He sighed._

"_I didn't even know I _had_ sweat glands…" A drop of sweat fell from his muzzle, and crashed into the ground. It sounded like an explosion to his ears in the quiet tunnel. The drop of sweat was quick to sizzle. He wiped more sweat from his face just as he finally reached the origin of the red glow. He quickly backed away as a small drop of lava dripped from the ceiling. In the middle of the room, a rock sat inside a small crater. The rock came up to Naruto's knee, and was around 1 or 2 feet wide. A red glow surrounded it, so he knew this was the rock he was looking for. He walked closer, and Naruto could feel the heat baring down on him. He reached closer, and could almost feel his paw melting. "Um… any ideas about how to move this?"_

"_Hmm…?" Minato 'hmm'ed'. "What about that palm technique?"_

"_Palm technique?" Naruto closed his eyes as he remembered the move his master taught him a year into his training. After a few moments, his eyes snapped open._

_An ghostly image of Matser Panther appeared near the rock._

"_This is called the Air Bullet move." Panther said. "It requires Chi to use."_

"_Chi…?" Naruto asked. A large question mark hovered over his head._

"_Un…" Panther mumbled. He scratched his head, as he though of how to explain it. A light buld suddenly went off in his head as he remembered what Naruto sometimes talks about, and what that Goddess mentioned as well. "Hmm… then think of it as Chakra… only you must unlock it. Once you begin to unlock it, then the final test will be near."_

_With a smirk, Naruto thrust his hands forth. The rock stayed still. Not even a little breeze hit it. With a growl, his hands shot forward again and again. Nothing._

_Panther chuckled, then he spoke in his best Yoda voice. "Keep practicing, you must. For only then, will you unlock it." Panther slammed his cane down into the ground, and it stayed there, "Now… pay attention!" Naruto nodded, then walked in front of the rock. He never did notice the old master's hidden smirk._

_Panther moved his paws. They moved as if he was under water. Naruto looked on in awe as he master moved around. He found his own paws tried to match his masters, but failed. Then he saw his master take a deep breath, and like lighting, his pawpads flew flew forward. After a beat, the rock was suddenly blasted forward. He could feel the gust from the technique move his fur. He didn't have time to gush in awe, as the rock flew right at him. He let out a sudden gasp._

_Naruto's eyes watched the rock suddenly become ghostly, then flew right through him. He shook his head as the images vanished. As he walked over to the rock, he took a glance around to make sure the rock will fly to where he want it. He inhaled some of the fresh, but mainly crispy, air. It was still hard to breath in the area, but luckily, this area was like an oasis, minus a little pond. He entered a stance. Paws outstretched before him. His paws started to move around in a similar manner he saw his master do. He slowly exhaled, then like lightning, his paws shot forward…_

"_Wha-!" Naruto yelled out. Eyes were as wide as dinner plates. He shook his head with a growl, which seemed to be on automatic nowadays. Thrusting his paws forwards once again, only to see nothing happened. "What am I…"_

"_I figured. We had Chi in our world." Kushina spoke. A screen popped up before her, and she watched Naruto try and try to use the Air Bullet. "It wasn't as potent in our world, as it is here." She paused the video. "I wonder…"_

"_Hmm?" A question mark appeared above the Yellow Flash and former 4__th__ Hokage's head._

"_I want you to close your eyes." Naruto did as she said. "Picture a field of fireflies at night…" She watched as fireflies appeared in the mindscape. She smiled and ignored her husband as he tried to catch one. "Tell me what you see."_

_Naruto, with his eyes still closed, kept his paws moving. Moving as if he was underwater._

"_I see…" He began. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw fireflies flying around a darkened field. "Fireflies…" All of the fireflies had an orange glow, but one of them, glowed a lovely blue color. It matched his eyes. "One is blue…"_

"_You must grab the blue one." Kushina told him._

_Naruto trekked through the field. The grass felt real. And so did the cool breeze that blew through his hair. Fireflies gently floated around him, as if they were leading him. He walked further with the help of the fireflies, and he noticed the blue one. It was a few feet in front of him. He leaned forwards and gently cupped it in both paws. He was careful not to squish it._

_Hr brought his paws back, then opened them. The blue insect looked up at him confused, but didn't move from the paws. Naruto blinked, and just like that, the scenery was replaced by a large dam. A dam that made Naruto look like an insect himself. He sucked in a breath as he saw a crack forming. Feeling a shift in the air, he leapt back, just as a piece of the dam crashed where he stood. He looked at his paws, and saw that the insect was still there._

_He felt a small drop of water hit his face, then the droplets grew and became more. He looked back at the dam, and saw a single strand of bright blue and clear water sprouting out from a single crack in the dam and nailing him in the face._

"_Now what?" Naruto questioned. He wiped his muzzle, then stepped away from the spray of water. He tried to concentrate on the sounds of his parents, but the only sound he heard was the sound of water. A crack echoed around the area. He glanced to the dam. A small sound suddenly sounded like a million explosions. He glanced further up the dam, and the fur above his eyes raised as the crack got larger and the spray of water got more powerful. He saw the small firefly explode in a small show of fireworks before he saw something else. "Ah! Cr-" Was all that he managed to get out as the powerful spray struck him with as much force as Sakura and Tsunade combined._

_Naruto gasped, then quickly inhaled as the world returned to normal._

"_Naruto!" Kushina yelled from within the mindscape. He flinched at the volume. "What did you see?"_

"_Uh… I saw a freakin' dam and what felt like one of Grandma's punches…" Naruto groaned out._

"_Try that move now, son." Minato spoke after a moment._

"_Right!" He shook his head to clear the throbbing. He stood behind the Volcano Battery. His pawpads were outstretched towards the rock. He slowly inhaled, and moved his paws closer to his chest. Then, with a strong exhale, he pushed his paws forward._

_The gust of air flew out, but it only served to power the flames. Naruto shielded his face and backed away as the rock became hotter._

"_Naruto. Remember what you learned the first day of training?" Minato asked._

_An imaged flashed through the young fox's mind…_

"_You were distracted by the butterfly while you were trying to steady the rock." Panther explained._

_Naruto walked back over to the Battery and got back into his stance. Panther's voice was heard echoing through his mind._

"_Don't be distracted by the head…" Naruto inhaled. "Don't worry about the time limit. Just focus" Naruto began to feel for his Chi. "And when you have focus…" He found his Chi and started to focus on it. His paws glowed a light blue. "…time… ceases to exist." With a sudden exhale, he paws flew forward._

_And like being struck by a ton of pressure, the Battery flew forward and came to a roll several feet from where it was at. As the battery rolled, a burnt mark was left in its trail._

_He blinked at finally being able to accomplish the Air Bullet technique. He smiled and jumped for joy, despite the over bearing heat._

_But for his parents, a question gnawed at them._

"_Sorry to interrupt, son…but how are we suppose to get that molten rock from _inside _the volcano to the temple?" Minato had to ask._

_Naruto froze mid jump, and glanced towards the battery. It was only a few feet in front of him. Before he could contemplate his dilemma, the room began to vibrate._

"_Not much time!" Kushina yelled. She cursed Master Panther's name. "Leave it, and roast that Panther!_

_Without another glance to the rock, Naruto bolted out of the room. Behind him, a wall exploded and lava flooded in. He pumped chkara… or Chi, he didn't know, to his feet. It gave his feet some added boost and protection._

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto slid deeper into the water. Once the water reached his chin, he lapped it up… only to immediately spit it back out.

_I still can't believe that Master was waiting on the hill… with three Volcano Batteries. _Naruto spat again as he tried to get the taste of warm soapy water out of his mouth.

"_You should've took his cane… and bashed his wrinkly head in!" _Kushina yelled out her suggestion. In the mindscape, Minato slowly inched away from his wife. Mad sex was alright, but when she's pissed at someone else… well, he didn't feel like being tied up again.

_You know… _Naruto began. He didn't notice the ripples on the reflection of the moon. More ripples seemed to get closer. _I'm starting to think, that maybe he coated his body in chi… and carried the damn flaming rocks! 'Cause I know they didn't fly out and landed there!_

"_That's true..." _Minato started. He smirked as he sensed the new presence behind his son. He took a glance to his wife, only to she that she was in the middle of her 'inner' monologue on 'Panther Bashing'. _"You need to unlock the rest of your chi before you're at his level."_

_Yeah… _He thought with a sigh. He relaxed in the water. The sound of the waterfall was very peaceful. It reminded him of Konoha. His thoughts drifted to a certain incident, but he shook that from his head as he felt himself being turned on. Which didn't help things, as several minutes later, he felt something press into his back. "Wha-?"

He leaned back, only to feel something… squishy… then he heard a squeak of 'eek'. Using a quick burst of speed, he appeared on the other side of the water. With a blush, and a slight nosebleed, he saw what was currently giggling from where he was just at.

"Su! What…? W-What are you doing here?!" He stuttered, then yelled out. He tried to look away, but his eyes kept drifting. After all, he still remembered the Ino, Sakura, Anko and Tsunade incident. He shuttered, but some blood leaked from his nose.

Across from him, was Su, the gorgeous cook. She sat on an underwater rock. Her long yellowish brown ears fell over her breasts, and much to his relief… or chagrin, covered them. A pink blush covered her cheeks.

"I… um, just wanted to wash your back." Su stated. She still giggled a little. She slid deeper into the water. Her ears now floated on top of the water. "You told me some stories about your home and customs. So, I wanted to make you feel more at home…" Naruto brought a paw up to his nose to stop an upcoming nosebleed.

"Y-yeah…" Naruto stuttered. "…nut I already feel at home."

"Can we… try it…" Su stated. Her face now beat red. She splashed the area in front of her. Naruto gulped.

Naruto quickly shook his head as an onslaught of perverted thoughts entered his head. Even his parents blushed at that.

_I am _not _Jiraiya! I can do this… without any perverted meaning! _Naruto all bust screamed in his mind. He slowly walked over to her, and quickly made sure nothing could be seen in the water. Once he reached the spot she indicated, he turned around and sat between her legs. All the while blushing up a storm.

Su shook off some of her blush as she reached for a nearby rock and grabbed the soap. She brought the some to Naruto's bare back, and with a shaky breath, she began to scrub. She does admit she had a crush on the young fox every since she first met him. Although, she first loved to tease him without it meaning anything, but now, as he grew and matured, she found herself blushing a lot. She's brought back to Earth as Naruto let out a moan. Then after a few minutes, she stopped scrubbing.

Wondering why she stopped, Naruto turned around with a slight gulp. He was met by Su's back as she swiveled around. He gulped again as he saw her bare butt, and her puffy tail. He glanced at his own tail, only to see it becoming straight. He blushed and gulped again.

"Can you…?" Su left hanging. The moonlight bounced off her fur and gave her an enchanting look.

"S-sure…" He gently took the offered soap from Su, then began to gently rub Su's back. He was careful not to scrub too hard. His blush got even darker when Su let out a moan.

"No wonder… you always talk about your home… this feels good…" She said between moans. She tilted her neck as Naruto scrubbed there.

"We don't normally scrub each other… because that would be…" Naruto whispered with a gulp. He tried to bat away more of _those _thoughts. To make matters worse, he was sitting very close to her, and she kept backing up. "…intimate."

Naruto went lower with the soap, only to elicit a laugh from Su as he scrubbed her ribs.

"I like to consider us… close…" Su replied between laughs.

Naruto paused as he heard that, but his hands moved automatically up and down her ribs. With another sudden bout of laughter, Su slipped on the underwater rock she was sitting on.

"Aah!" She screamed as she fell backwards and onto Naruto.

"Uh!" Naruto grunted as he fell backwards into the water. Su on top of him. Su tilted her head to look at the person she fell on. Both eyes meet. Green eyes met blue. Naruto had wrapped one arm around her to keep her from falling deeper into the water. A force of habit, he guessed. But his other hand…

Su let out a shaky moan as Naruto squeezed his _missing _hand. His eyes trailed his arm, which led him under the water… in-between Su's legs. He blushed as he tried to move his hand, only to hear another moan.

With his face turning an impossibly deeper shade of red, it finally happened. Blood shot from his nose and his eyes rolled back into his head. He was propelled backwards, taking Su with him as she gave one final scream. His parents held up scorecards. Minato had a seven, while Kushina held up a perfect 10. She looked at Minato with a lopsided smirk.

Minato just shook his head at the sight. He kinda figured that Jiraiya had some influence. But at the same time, his son still maintained a level of pure innocence. He glanced to his wife, who finally realized that her son was _naked _with a very sexy and busty _female_. And now, she was walking around as if blinded. Outside, neither of the four were aware of an old Panther walking back towards the temple with a giggle.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning found the trio eating a pretty large breakfast. A large bowl of noodles sat in the middle of the table, along with a large serving of different kinds of fruits. Naruto grabbed the large spoon in the noodle bowl, and quickly filled up his plate for the third time.

Naruto smiled. He felt good. Eating with friends, no, his entire family. He can't remember the last time he had a meal at a table like this. Not counting Ichiraku. Even his parents decided to have a feast of their own. Naruto reached for a mango, only to have his hand brush against Su's. Their eyes met, and both turned away with blushes.

"Y-you can have it." Su stuttered, pushing the mango towards Naruto.

"No… it's yours…" And cue Naruto pushing the mango back to the bunny.

Master Panther's eyes follow the mango. His pupil went back and forth… back and forth… and after several more seconds of watching it. He acted. With lightning fast speed, Panther grabbed a knife from the table and sliced the mango in two while it was in mid push.

"H-hey!" Naruto yelled. "What ever happened to _patience_?"

Panther, who was about to throw the knife at Naruto, paused. "Patience…?" He mumbled. Then with lightning fast reflexes, he threw the knife at Naruto's head. Said fox ducked, but a few pieces of fur fell onto the table. "With you around, patience goes _out _the window! Besides, I'm an old panther… what do I need patience for?!"

"S-scary…" Naruto whispered to the shivering Su.

"You should of seen him when he and Master Shifu got together to play poker last year. All the cards, the wall… along with my plates… were filled with holes." Su said, but grumbled the last bit.

Naruto shook his head. He remembered that day. It was the day he slept in the woods. He always loved to camp outdoors. He guessed he got that from Kakashi. That day, Su got tired of the ruckus and the company of old men, so she kept him company. The two old timers kept yelling up a storm.

Hearing a cough, the two shake off their thoughts… only to realize their heads were almost touching.

"You two can do that later…" Panther somehow pulled a 180. He gave them a smile. "It's time."

"Time?" Naruto asked as he stood up.

"To fully unlock your chi." Panther replied simply.

Naruto paused. He thought he did unlock his chi. But, that was only a small crack on the dam. "And, um… how are we…" Before he could finish that sentence, Panther leapt onto the table. Food scattered and fell onto the floor, much to Su's chagrin.

Panther smirked. He held up a paw, and with a flick, a claw was unsheathed. The lone claw sparkled as the morning light struck it. Panther wiggled the claw in a thumping motion.

"Just hold still!" Panther leapt forward. His single unsheathed claw was covered with a light blue glow.

"W-wait!" Naruto tried to back away, but it was too late. Using his claw, Panther thumped Naruto on the forehead. And not a second later, Naruto went flying backward. He slammed onto the nearest wall, then slid onto the floor with a light snore.

"You do realize… we could've used the special fruit out back to put him in a dreamlike state." Su said, while her eyes stare worriedly at the sleeping fox.

Panther paused mid poke. "But, this way is more fun!" He went back to poking Naruto with his cane.

Su looked around the messy room. An angry aura surrounded her. She cracked her neck, as well as her paws. With a growl, or as good as an angry rabbit could produce, she approached the poor unsuspecting Panther.

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Dreamscape…**

Naruto groaned as he sat up. He rubbed his sore forehead.

"What the hell? Damn panther. What's with all of my sensei's? Kakashi poked me in the ass! Ero-sennin threw me off a cliff! A cliff!" He continued to mumble to himself, and didn't notice that he wasn't in the Temple anymore.

He suddenly found himself tangled in a curtain. Quickly getting free of the object, he stared at the familiar symbol on it. His eyes suddenly went wide. "Ichiraku…" He slowly opened the curtain, only to see the place empty. He backed away from the restaurant and looked around. The Village of Konoha.

"Was… everything just a dream?" He glanced to where he knew the Hokage Mountain should be. And what he saw, nearly made him faint from shock. The five Hokage head were now animal heads, with Tsunade being a leopard. Or was it a cougar? No, definitely leopard. She had spots. "I so pictured her being a slug…"

He continued to explore the village, unaware of a glowing blue tendril rising from the ground. In the distance, he spotted his apartment. But instead of walking to it, he turned away from him. He had a new home now. A family and friends. Sure, he hand many back in Konoha. But, the Village of Yang felt more like home than years of being in Konoha. Back in Konoha, he felt a weight of needing to prove something. But back in his new home, he felt he can choose and be whatever he wanted.

He continued to walk the empty streets. He passed by plenty of familiar places. Like the Yamanaka flower shop, The Forest of Death, The Academy and The Hokage Tower. He even stopped at the place he fought the Masked Kunoichi, Tsukino.

_I miss my sister, Tsuki-chan. Hope she is doing good. _He finally reached the training ground, and spotted the familiar memorial stone. He gave a faint smile as he saw the three training logs. As he headed for the memorial stone, he decided to call his parents. "Mom? Dad?" After a few seconds of no response, he decided to read the names. Using a claw, he traced some of the names, but then his eyes grew wide as he read the last name. 'Uzumaki Naruto – KIA' But the 'K' had been crudely scratched out and was replaced with an 'M'. He ran a paw over his name with a sad smile.

His ears twitched as a noise was heard directly behind him, but before he could react, a glowing blue tendril wrapped around his neck. He was lifted up. His paws clawed at the object. He tried to look for the origin, but only saw the tendril coming out of the ground. And like a slingshot, he was slung backwards and into a training post. The same post he was tied to as a genin. The top half broke off and landed on the ground.

Coughing from the sudden attack, he got up and looked at the attacker. Only to come face to face with himself. A blue glow surrounded the doppelganger, along with yellow eyes. The mirror image of him unsheathed his claws as he threw both fists down.

_What is this…? _Naruto asked, but was forced to dodge to his left as an air bullet collided with the training post and reduced it to splinters. The creature smiled with his fangs visible.

"What's wrong… _fox _got your tongue?" The creature chuckled as it circled around Naruto like a predator circling its prey.

"Kyuubi?" Naruto whispered from his place on the ground.

"Wrong!" The clone gave an insane chuckle.

"Then who…?" Naruto stood up. But before he could get in a stance, a sudden pressure pushed down on him. He dropped to his knees. _Ah! I can't move! ...I haven't felt like this… since… Zabuza…_

"Ah, yes. That's where I learned KI from." The figure tilted his head as the KI was lifted. "But you asked who I am…"

"Yes!" Naruto stood up with a pant. "Now, quit dodging the question!"

"I am…" The figure popped his neck, and flexed his claws. Naruto held in a breath. "…your fear."

"What…?" Naruto asked. He stared in shock. The first thing he could think of, was that this was Yami. But, he was in a new life. Everything, Kyuubi and Yami related were gone.

"Your fear. Your loneliness. Your desperation. Your hopes. Your dreams…. Your anger." A tentacle slipped out from the creatures sleeves. And like a whip, it launched forward and impaled a tree. "I am everything you are. The embodiment of your chi." The tentacle retracted. "You just going to throw your old life away? Everyone that meant something?" He smirked. "I should just kill you now!" Naruto rolled to the side just as a tentacle impaled the ground. "All of those _bonds _we worked so hard to build! And yet, you destroyed them!"

Naruto grunted as he stood back up. "I didn't des-" Before he could finish, a tentacle struck him and he flew to the side. He crashed into a building. A building that was next to Yamanaka Flower Shop. A testament to how far he flew. Getting out of the rubble, he spat out a glob of blood. He looked at the blood in shock.

"_You must face your past… in order to survive the future…" _Naruto blinked as the image of his master came and faded quickly. He wiped the blood from his muzzle and stood up.

"If you want my power…" He looked to his left, and saw the clone leaning against a building. "…overcome me!" The clone vanished in a poof of smoke.

Naruto carefully looked around to make sure that creature doesn't get in a surprise hit. But before anything could happen, Konoha began to fade. He blinked and the location was replaced by a new one. A very familiar one.

Naruto gasped as a familiar fog covered the area. He sniffed the air. It smelled salty and slightly fishy. He could tell there was a lot of salt water nearby.

"Remember this place…" The clone's voice was heard echoing throughout the dense fog.

"This is… where I first met Haku… my first true bond…" Naruto replied. He remembered seeing Zabuza and Kakashi in an awe-inspiring fight. Then, Haku appeared dressed as a Kiri Hunter-nin.

"Glad you remembered!" A large sword pierced through the fog, and narrowly missed Naruto's head. Naruto jumped back as the sword sliced again, and nearly took his head off. And it kept repeating like that, with the sword missing him by inches. "There are eight points! Larynx, Jugular…" The sword suddenly stopped just as it neared Naruto's neck. "Damn! I forgot how the rest went." The sword was swung again, but this time, it managed to clip Naruto's arm.

Naruto backed away. His tail swung angrily behind him. He held his bleeding right arm. A _whoosh _was heard. He closed his eyes as he felt a shift in the air near his neck.

"_When a person has something important they want to protect… that's when they can become truly _strong_."_ Haku's voice echoed through his head. Images of Haku flooded his mind, including when he was resurrected by Kabuto. His eyes snapped open. He ignored the sword which was moving in slow motion. He looked towards where some of the sky was visible through the fog. Haku's face appeared. _"Embrace your bonds, Naruto-kun! Prove to him that bonds never truly die!"_

Naruto inhaled as the sword picked up speed. And despite the pain in his arm, he leapt to the side. The large sword scraped the ground. He glanced to where the sword came from, and saw an opening. He leapt over the sword and kicked. He struck the clone with all of his might. But as the kick impacted, the world exploded into particles.

He looked around, and saw that Konoha was reappearing around him. The training log was still in pieces. He felt a tingle on his arm, and he spotted the skin and fur mending back together.

A cough was heard next to him. He frowned as he saw the clone. Said clone was leaning against a tree, panting. After a beat, the clone growled in anger.

"Quit pretending!" The clone yelled. "I looked through your mind. _Our _mind! And not once have you thought about Haku! Or the rest of your friends! Sure, you talked about them… but that's it!"

"That's not true! They will forever be in my heart! Naruto yelled. He felt a lot stronger. "Our heart. It is possible to move on… without breaking a single bond!"

The clone growled, then rushed forward. His claws were at the ready. But before he could reach Naruto, a white light flashed.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The clone blinked in shock as more than a hundred ghostly red strings exploded from Naruto and floated upwards. Naruto watched in shock as the strings kept coming from him. His eyes followed the strings upwards.

"Baka!"Both Naruto and clone stared in disbelief as the image of a pink haired girl floated in the sky. "Even in another life… you still managed to find trouble." She winked. "By the way… I got your message… brother."

"What is this?" The clone yelled. He could feel his power draining.

Several more images seem to appear. Including one of Tsukino, who smiled at Naruto followed by a wish of luck. He looked on in awe as the sky was quickly being filled with images. Some even replaced the buildings.

"We're proud of you." He turned to his left, and saw his parents standing there. Red strands attached to their hearts.

"Mom? Dad? Where were you?" Naruto asked. In the sky, several images gasped in surprise.

"We lost the connection, and couldn't locate you. Like a needle in a haystack." Kushina answered.

"Then these red strings appeared, so we followed them here." Minato said with a Kakashi type eye smile.

With a smile, Naruto looked up. Around here were all the bonds he ever made. And what surprised him the most, was that he could actually feel their chakra. He looked around, and saw something. He looked past Tsunade, Ino and even Hinata, and nearly gasped as he saw a certain someone.

"Idiot." Sasuke said with a smirk. "Getting tossed around by a _clone_."

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered.

"You should know by now, that bonds are unbreakable. No matter how hard you try." Sasuke smirked, but whispered the last part. "Bonds can even last through time and space… even through the afterlife…"

The clone grunted and struggled to stand as the strings grew brighter.

"That's right!" Ino yelled. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"Our hearts will always be connected!" Everyone yelled as one, including Naruto.

The clone smiled as he fell to a knee. "Congratulations… you passed…" The clone coughed. "My power… is now your chi. Use it well…" With a final smile, he vanished into several blue tendrils which rushed toward Naruto. He braced himself as the tendrils suddenly impaled him. But instead of harming him, they flowed through him as if it was made of water. Once the final tendril was absorbed, Naruto flexed his claws.

"Naruto…" He turned towards the voice, and saw that the streets were filled with ghostly images of everyone he made a bond with. Sakura walked forward. "I know you can't come back… but I just wanted you to know…" Her green eyes were filled with determination. "…that we'll protect Konoha with all we've got!"

"Ditto!" Ino piped up. She threw her arms around Sakura with her eyes closed, and a wide smile on her face.

"Looks like it's time to go." Sai spoke up for the first time. Naruto didn't even notice him, but he did sorta form a bond with the boy. Everyone noticed that particles started floating from their bodies as if they were bubbles.

"I hope we will remember this when we wake up." Kakashi spoke up. His eyes met his former sensei's.

Sakura shyly walked forward. But she had a happy smile on her face. She reached forward, and gently stroked Naruto's ear. She chuckled as it twitched. Naruto noticed a tear threatening to fall from her eyes. With a sniffle, Naruto embraced Sakura. His first true love, a love which she also returned, if a little too late. She was now his sister, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I hope we'll meet in another dream again… soon." Sakura spoke as she held Naruto tighter. Naruto was surprised he could feel her, and Sakura thought the same thing. His fur tickled her nose, and the fur was unbelievably comfortable. "I want you to… find your one true love in this world. If she treats you badly…" She pulled back and looked at Naruto. She gently kissed his muzzle. "…tell me, and I'll set her straight."

Sakura backed away with another sniffle. As the hundreds of bonds Naruto made with begin to vanish, they each gave him a unique wave. Sasuke just shook his head with a grin. And to his surprise, Hinata rushed forward and gave him a quick hug. Naruto smiled as she backed away. She was very happy to see Naruto again, but sad this may be the last time.

Naruto saw his other sister figure, Tsukino, walk forward. "Stay out of trouble." He gave her a final embrace before she completely vanished.

But before she vanished, Naruto said, "No promises."

And like usual, there is _always _one person that gives a final remark.

"See ya later, Foxy!" Anko spoke with a beaming grin. With a wink, she completely vanished. Naruto sweat dropped at that.

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Real World**

Panther leaned over a snoring Naruto. He held a bucket of _cold _water in his paws. He was just about to dump it on the sleeping fox, but before he could even tip the bucket, an explosion of chi sent the bucket rocketing backwards and onto Panther.

Naruto yawned as he stood up. He stretched, and heard his back pop. His eyes canned the room, and he took noticed he was back in his own room. He continued to scan the room, and had to do a double take.

"Master…?" Naruto asked. He saw the short Panther standing there, with a bucket on his head and dripping wet.

Said master just turned away and silently walked out, leaving behind a trail of water and a confused pupil.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat before his Master in a meditation stance. The floor and walls were covered in stones, and an altar was near them. Behind the Master, lay a long object wrapped in cloth.

"I see…" Panther spoke up after hearing what Naruto went through. "...strange indeed."

"What was your experience like, Master?" Naruto asked. As Panther thought about it, Naruto tried to sneak a peek at the wrapped object, but Panther's tail kept blocking it from view.

"Mine?" Panther scratched his chin. "Well… I had to fight an evil turkey… that strangely, had my mother's voice."

Naruto sputtered. "Seriously?"

"Yep… put up quite a fight. Tasty too!" Panther licked his chops. After a moment, he saw that Naruto was staring at him. He coughed. "Congratulations on unlocking your chi. With practice, you might be able to do the moves that you used to do."

"Thanks! I can't believe that was the final test!" Naruto yelled out in joy with a beaming smile.

"Who said _that _was the final test?" Panther asked, which caused Naruto to freeze in his celebration… along with Minato and Kushina who just popped a bottle of champagne, or was it sake?

"But… but…" Naruto stuttered.

Panther gave a loud chortle, which only confused the young fox and his parents further.

"My young and strange pupil… you've passed the final test two years ago…" Panther explained, still with a gleeful laugh.

Naruto looked down. Images flashed through his head, and his eyes widened.

"_I will never give up!" Naruto yelled after he fell off the rock for the 10__th__ time._

"_I… can't… give up!" Naruto yelled. He jumped over a pit of flames, and tried to avoid the rollers._

"_Giving up…" Naruto continued to try and fire an Air Bullet at the straw dummy. "Means… I'm weak!"_

Naruto flicked his eyes towards the smiling Panther.

"You see, you're the only pupil I had that didn't quit within a few months…" He stood up, and walked towards a line of pictures. He pointed at them with his cane. He pointed to a young wolverine with spiky hair. "He gave up after a day… and now he works on his family's farm." He moved the cane to a male tiger with blonde hair. "Him. Gave up after a month, and now he's a fisherman." He pointed to a female whose face was blocked by the glare of the sun. All he could make out was a dark yellow fur, and what looked like long ears. Panther moved the cane and pointed to all the other pictures. "You're the first pupil to not give up. That's true kung fu spirit." He whipped the cane forward and pointed it at Naruto. "But… why do you fight?"

"_Why do you fight?" Haku asked a younger Naruto._

"_Is there… somebody precious to you?" Haku asked as he picked some herbs._

"_When a person… has something important they want to protect… that's when they can become truly _strong_." Haku's voiced echoed around him._

"To protect the people I care about… to protect my bonds… to protect the weak!" Naruto yelled with determination.

Panther smiled. "I'm glad that's the reason. Didn't want to _bonk _my star pupil on the head, now would I?" He waved the cane threateningly. He reached behind his back, and pulled out the wrapped object. He gave it a lovingly pat, then thrusts into Naruto's waiting arms. "I had it special made."

Naruto had always loved to receive presents. During his younger days, it was a rare occasion. And he only got them from ANBU, the old man, or some of the veteran shinobis. But still, he loved to open them. He quickly unwrapped the cloth. Once the cloth was thrown off, he gasped. Inside his mindscape, Minato, focused on the gift, accidentally pulled to hard on the cork and caused the thing to fly in every direction.

Ignoring his mother's scream, he examined the gift. It was a gorgeous katana with a red hilt and orange wrappings around it. The sheath itself was orange with the picture of a fox standing over a village, as if protecting it. The color of the fox was red with the village being emerald green. Naruto gently rubbed it, but then took notice of the hilt for the first time. The hilt had a special design, where a paw can fit and grip it with ease.

"This is…" He flipped the sword around and saw his name around the fox. "…incredible."

"Come. Let's celebrate with a large dinner!" The old panther popped his back as he stood. He turned to Naruto. "But only a small amount of noodles."

Naruto pouted, with his ears sagging, but he was inwardly happy… and wished his parents would share the sake.

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Meanwhile, in another village…**

People sat at the counter in a noodle restaurant. They were eating happily and chattering with each other.

"Po!" A medium sized bear yelled. He pushed his bowl forward. "Another bowl. Extra cheese, please!"

Po quickly snatched the bowl. He was a fairly large panda, and the Dragon Warrior. One would wonder why he wasn't at the Jade Palace, or off saving someone. The answer is a simple one.

"Gotcha! But knock off the rhymes, will ya?" Po shook his head. He looked through the window that leads to the kitchen. "Dad! One with extra cheese!"

"Coming up!" The goose, who was currently sweating up a storm, replied. "Po… today is the busiest day ever! We need some extra paws, claws and even hoofs!"

"Extra paws?" Po asked. He ignored the bowl that landed on his head. A light bulb suddenly went off above his head. "I know just the paws, um, guys to ask!"

30 minutes later found Po with a wide smile on his face as he stood before a gorgeous female tigress. She had orange fur and an unhappy expression on her face.

"Po…" She growled. She wanted to be anywhere, but here. "What am I doing here?

"Please! Just help out a little! We'll even pay you!" Po paused as that left his lips. "Eventually!"

"Alright, fine. Seeing as how we… I, owe you for everything. Saving the village, saving China… I'll help." Tigress crossed her arms.

"Hold still!" Po ordered as he examined the feline before him.

"Wha-?" was all she managed to get out as Po moved lightning fast. Not even ten seconds later, he backed away with a smile.

"Perfect!" Po complimented as he put his paws in two 'L' shapes and admired his work. Tigress looked down at herself. A white apron was draped over her.

"Po…" Tigress growled out once again.

"Ooh, almost forgot!" He whipped out a small hat and gently placed it on her head. Tigress just stared at Po. Her right eye twitched.

* * *

EDIT: 08/13/2013: Added around 10 new scenes and lines. Deleted the Italics on the reunion scene.

Next chapter is currently being written, and so is the next chapters of Spider & Fox and Justice League.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Really sorry for the long wait. Been unmotivated lately, but Fan of Fanfics kept giving me a kick in the ass. Not much action in this chapter. It's mainly just to establish some things. Was gonna cut it in half, but decided you guys waited long enough. Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Crouching Tigress, Hidden Fox

Chapter 3: The Eye of the Tigress

Naruto swung his sword with an ease he didn't think was possible. When he first received the sword, he had trouble with it. Beyond trouble. The first time it actually slipped out of his paws, and almost decapitated his master. The old panther took it well... by swinging the sword at his student.

Naruto shivered slightly. He was glad he still had a healing factor. With his parents ability to travel between his body and the afterlife, they discovered they also act as if they were Kyuubi. The combined chakra/chi between two former Jinchurki's and the Yellow Flash gave him tremendous reserves. He hoped soon he will be able to do the rasengan again.

_Or an Air bullet slash rasengan, _he thought with a grin. He knew he would have to practice that one a lot just to make it happen.

"_I give it two noodles out of five," _Minato commented. _"A better name is a must for any jutsu to succeed!"_

"_Totally agree. Maybe have dragon in the name. Dragon always makes a jutsu sound _and _look better." _Kushina joined her husband. Naruto could picture her nodding sagely. _"Dragon ball."_

"_I like it." _Minato replied, then rolled the name around on his tongue.

Naruto just ignored his parents, and focused on the task at hand. He was currently surrounded by trees. Many had slashes on them. He was slightly out of breath, and his fur was matted with sweat.

He slipped into the stance his mother taught him. His sword was poised to stab forward. Since he received the blade, his mother was like a drill sergeant. It was almost as if Ibiki was his sensei... or Anko. He knew his mother heard him. And with a growl that would probably scare any nearby critter, he leapt forward. And at the very last second, right as he neared the tree, he flicked his wrist.

A slash appeared on the tree.

Bark flew past his face as he appeared behind the tree. He quickly sheathe his blade into its sheath. He still loved the look of the sheath, and always felt sooo awesome with it showing proudly on his back. A fox protecting a village. What more could he ask for?

He glanced to the sun. It's been five days since Panther told him and Su the big news.

_Since receiving the sword, he made time each day to practice. Back in his world, he didn't even think of using a sword. His fist and clones were his lethal weapons. Beating the pulp out of people. His drill sergeant mother was like Yoda, only without riding on his back. Nah, that was Panther's job. The true Yoda. And the panther really needed to trim his claws..._

_Yoda, um, Panther entered the clearing where Naruto was. He raised a brow as he saw Su staring intently at Naruto. He ignored that little everyday occurrence and walked up to his star pupil. But what he didn't count on was a sword heading straight for him._

_He blinked, and narrowed his eyes as his very last whisker fell off. This was almost like the time Naruto nearly took off his head when he first starting using the sword. With quick reflexes, he caught the floating whisker._

_Naruto flinched. His shinobi instincts kicked in as he heard a footstep. But he relaxed as he saw Su. She always managed to sneak up on him. No footsteps. No sound. Almost like a ghost._

_Panther pocketed his fallen whisker. His beloved. Then before anyone could react, he whipped out his cane and poked Naruto in the stomach so hard even Naruto's parents flinched._

_He paused mid-second poke as a thought came to him. He remembered why he came up to Naruto. Earlier he had received a letter from his rival. He wouldn't exactly call Shifu an old friend, considered that he was way older than Shifu. Rivals sound better. They vowed to teach the best students, and rub it into the others face. When he learned Shifu had trained a new breed of Furious Five, he tried and tried to match that._

_But he failed._

_And now Shifu had sent word about his latest student. The dragon warrior. He already knew about that since a year ago, so he figured that Shifu finally remembered him. How he wanted to rub that little red panda's nose in a pile of-_

_He shook his head. The warrior was just a panda. Albeit, a large panda. That's when an idea formed. An idea so deranged, he was forced to chuckle aloud. The idea could even benefit his rival. Maybe he could even set his student up with that Tigress student of Shifu's. That would be great revenge against his student! The damn fox, cut off his last whisker... _

_Meh, that idea could backfire in a huge way._

_Panther looked at his student, better make that looked _up _at his student. He quickly placed his cane back down until it left an imprint in the dirt. He examined the fox from head to toe, which made Naruto quite uncomfortable. To him, it was like the times Tsunade gave him a physical._

_After a few more seconds, the panther nodded to himself. "Alright," he aimed his cane at Su this time and 'Hmmed' to himself. "Get everything you need packed up. We leave soon." Su looked at the small kung fu master in confusion, but he had moved the cane onto Naruto again. "I can't have your skills going to waste by being stuck in the same boring place everyday, can we? A journey would do you good." He placed the cane back down. Naruto caught the shift of wind and he couldn't help but wonder how fast his master really was. His parents agreed completely. As Panther turned away, he looked back with a fanged smile. "We shall leave for The Valley of Peace!"_

Naruto panted. His tongue even poked from his lips, but he was quick to reel it back in. According to the sun, it was almost lunchtime and they still have at least twenty miles to go before reaching The Valley of Peace. He turned around to exit the clearing, but nearly suffered a heart attack.

Su stood there with her head tilted.

"Ah! Sorry!" She quickly realized what she did and apologized with a quick bow. Naruto may not have been the brightest in his world, but with his parents helping him everyday, he learned a lot. Including when someone has skills.

Several images flashed before Naruto's eyes.

_Naruto watched as Su tripped while carrying his beloved soup. She swerved over a curled up rug and managed to catch the soup without a single drop being spilt. Naruto passed it off as 'Rabbit' reflexes._

_Naruto was practicing his throwing skills. Between his paw, he had a knife there. He was worried there wouldn't be any shuriken and kunai in this world, but he improvised, and made himself a set. They are slightly bigger than the ones from his world, but they get the job done._

_He raised his arm, the knife wiggled as he prepared it. But just as he threw it, his shoulder twitched. He watched in horror as the knife hurled towards the rabbit. He rushed forward, but knew he wouldn't get there in time. But out of everything he expected to happen, he didn't expect this. The rabbit turned faster than the shunshin, a body flicker, and snatched the object out of the air. His mouth dropped._

And of course, there was the many times she snuck into the hot springs without making a wave, a sound or a splash. Then he remembered that picture he saw at the temple. A glare covered the face of the girl.

"You were his student, weren't you?" Naruto asked as she began to walk away. She nearly tripped over her own feet. He sweatdropped.

"What...?" Su managed to ask as she turned away, only to see the fur above Naruto's eye raise. She sighed. "I wanted to be like him. Strong. Brave. Ever since I was a child, I have been training to be that great." Naruto nodded. Panther may be old and small, but he could pack a punch. Especially if he's aggravated, which was most of the time. But Naruto could relate to her.

He wanted to be great too, just like his father. But back then, he didn't know that his own hero would later turn out to be his father. The yellow flash. He still hoped to be great just like his father, even if he was in a new world.

"Unlike you, I gave up. I just... couldn't handle it." Then she smiled, which surprised him. "And that's when I discovered cooking. I found out I loved it... more than kung fu." She sighed. Not a sad one, but a happy one. "Oh... seeing the smile on someone's face when they try my food. Words cannot describe it..."

"_Are you crying?" _Kushina spoke after a moment.

"_N-no... something in my eye!" _Was Minato's reply.

"_In your eye? We're in the mindscape!"_

Naruto placed a hand on the rabbit's shoulder. "Back in my world, we had something called a 'Cooking Nin'. They were suppose to cook for the squads, but that backfired." He chuckled, remembering his time dealing with them. "You could use a similar idea. Use Kung Fu when you cook. I believe you have the skill for it." He started to walk away. "Who knows, you may even be able to teach people to become a 'Kung Fu Cook'. He looked back, and gave her a smile.

They were unaware of a pair of beady eyes watching them with a smile from a bush, but the lack of whiskers ruined the whole look.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Alright," the great Master Panther started to say as they left behind the small village they used to rest in. But this time, it was Su that was smiling brightly. When they left their home, she was nervous. Naruto still didn't know why they had to leave their home. The only home he actually knew in this world. He was actually beginning to get comfortable there. But, as his Master said, a journey would do him good. "As you may know by now, the Dragon Warrior is... a panda."

"So...?" Both Naruto and Su replied at the same time. Naruto had seen many types of ninja in his time, and he didn't see what the big deal was.

"Hmmm..." Panther scratched his chin, then replied nonchalantly, "I believe _you _are the true Dragon Warrior."

"Master?" Naruto tilted his head. He didn't notice Su freeze in her tracks as if expecting lightning to strike in front of her.

Panther stopped walking. "That's what I truly think." He turned so he saw his student's eye from the corner of his own. "Who knows, maybe there may even be a Fox Warrior or Phoenix Warrior position for you."

Naruto nodded. At first, he didn't understand the Phoenix one, but then it dawned on him. It would be awesome if that was the case.

"_I think _toad _should somehow be involved in this whole scenario..."_ His father piped up. That made Naruto wonder... was it _possible_. To summon? To actually cross worlds that way. He didn't know, but it would be amazing if he could. But, would Kami let it happen?

"If they want to believe the panda is the Dragon Warrior, then let them. He may very well be a chosen one." He looked Naruto dead in the eye. Or tried too. He looked up, only for the morning sun to block Naruto's face. "...since you were a chosen one in your world, it may not be possible for a chosen one to be chosen twice.." And with that, the master turned around and began walking, all while pondering the mysteries of the chosen ones.

"What's up with him?" Naruto whispered to Su.

"He's pondering again," she replied as if it was a normal occurrence. She reached behind her head and began to tie her ears together with a ribbon. Just in case a fight comes up, her ears won't get in her way.

Naruto wondered why she did that, but after finding out the truth, he understood. Sakura and Ino both did that at times.

"_...will you still be able to do the sexy jutsu?"_

"_Wipe that smile off your face."_

Naruto's ear twitched at that. But he had been wondering the same thing. He doubted it. The rasengan and the sexy jutsu are two completely different things. But he was willing to try. Before his thoughts can drift, Panther yelled out.

"Aha!" Panther yelled from up ahead, then began to mumble, "The fox shall be my secret weapon! The fox slash phoenix warrior! A lady killer!"

Naruto blinked as he heard that. Naruto's hearing picked up everything, but it was best to make sure.

"H-hey! What are you mumbling over there!" Naruto yelled with his paw pointing at his master's back.

Panther chuckled, then called over his shoulder. "Nothing you should worry about!"

"That makes me even more worried!" Naruto yelled as he ran after his master. Su just shook her head and followed at a more relaxed pace, still trying to get her ears tied together neatly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were very close to the Valley, with only a few miles to go. Naruto had decided to put himself on autopilot and enter his mind to ask a question that's been on his, well, mind.

The world around him swirled and faded away, and as his eyes took in the area, he had to blink several more times. His parents stood there. It has been awhile since he been to the mindscape, and he guessed his parents decided to make it more... homey. Didn't they have a heavenly paradise to go to?

His father was on a sofa, while Kushina was browsing through books that lined the wall. He wondered how the books even got there, but figured that Kami was still helping him out in her own ways. He continued to look around, then he noticed something.

It was almost an exact replica of the Hokage Tower. There was even a window! And outside, he could even see five familiar faces. But instead of a human appearance, they resembled the inhabitants of this world. The first Hokage resembled a lion, and so did the second. The third, which he smiled at, looked like a monkey. His father looked like a fox. And of course, Tsunade resembled some type of cat.

"Was going for a cheetah or a cougar," his father replied with a lazy wave. "Glad to see ya!" Minato stood with a stretch, and then froze as he looked at his son. Going closer, he examined him. "You've done something different." Minato stroked his chin. Kushina cracked opened a book, and raised a brow at her two boys. "Your tail..." He nodded to himself, while Naruto frowned. Even in his mind, his animal form was becoming natural. He knew he belonged _here_. With his parents, Su... and that crazy short thing he calls Master. But he didn't expect his father to say what he did. "...It's more fluffier."

Minato quickly grabbed the waving tail, then he squeezed and rubbed it while enjoying the fluffy feeling. Naruto's ear twitched as his father struck a sensitive spot.

Seeing that, Kushina shook her head. She licked her finger, then flipped a page in her book. But after reading a few paragraphs, she decided to save her son from his idiot father. "Quit rubbing your son." Minato quickly dropped Naruto's tail, and smiled innocently. "What can we do for you?" As she slid her book back into place, she spotted a purple notebook hidden between two books on the shelf.

Naruto's ear twitched again as he straightened out his tail. After all, it wasn't that easy to get it _fluffy_. "There is something that has been bothering me for awhile now."

Before he could continue, Minato grew a wide smile. "Aha! The talk about girls! I have been preparing for this day!" Minato then looked around at the books laying on the nearby table. He mumbled, "Now, where is that notebook."As he searched, he failed to see his wife walk over to him. She rolled the purple notebook up, reared her hand back, then brought it down on Minato's head. "Itai!"

"Looking for this, _dear_?" Kushina asked with a raised brow. Her tone was neutral as she lifted up the purple notebook. But as she held it, it slipped open, and Naruto managed to get a good look of what was in it. A drawing of stick figures in... compromising positions. Was that a pair of fox ears and tails on the one standing up, and a pair a bunny ears on the one bending over? His eyes widened, then a blush followed.

Kushina slapped her husband once more with the book. "I just wanted to give him _the talk_..."

The red haired beauty ignored her husband's pout, and flipped through the book. "So, this was what you were doing when you told me you were busy?

"Um..." A thought bubble appeared above Minato's head. An image swirled in it. One with Su. Her breasts were covered by steam. She leaned forward with her lips puckered, and just as she winked, the bubble popped. "...he's good inspiration?"

Naruto quickly wiped the blood that leaked from his muzzle. He didn't think of Su that way, if anything, she was more like Sakura. Sure, he'd admit there was a little crush, but at the end of the day, he thought of her more like a sister. At least, he hoped he did.

He coughed into his paw. "Guys..."

"Busy, my ass!" He watched his mother stomp on his father. His ear twitched in annoyance. "Wait a minute... when you were Hokage, and Jiraiya had that mission..." Her eyes narrowed. "...a book miraculous got published in Konoha. Paperwork, my ass!"

Naruto sighed, but decided to finish saying what he came here for. "When I first came to this world, how did I understand the language?"

Kushina paused mid-stomp, and shared a glance with her husband, who was seeing stars. "That's what we were thinking as well."

Minato jumped up and dusted himself off. "Perhaps that Goddess sent the info to your brain, and through yours, we gained the knowledge. She also supplied us with an infinite collection of books as well. The afterlife is grand!"

Naruto nodded. He also thought of that. Even when he saw all of his friends, they understood him. "It still feels like a foreign language to me, but at the same time, it also feels natural."

Kushina tapped her chin with her finger. "That's because your mind is still used to the shinobi world, hence the likely reason how you talked to everyone in that _dream_."

Naruto scratched his ear. They talk about that dream a lot. He believed it really happened, and he knew that in the shinobi world, they realize that too. Minato still wished he had enough time to chat with Kakashi.

"That wasn't the only thing that I came here for..."

Minato leaned forward to whisper, "Is it about that collection of Icha Icha Kami sent me? Feel free, son."

Kushina's eye twitched at that. "What is it, Naruto?"

"Just wondering, since I learned to embrace what I am..." His ears plopped down, which caused Kushina to smile at the cuteness. "...why don't you two become my _real _parents? Tail and all."

They both frowned at first, but then it dawned on them. He wanted them to become more like him. Their human forms have started to become strange and dare they say it, distant to him.

"Alright." Kushina said with a smile. Both of his parents closed their eyes, and even he was forced to shield his as a bright light engulfed the area. He held his paws over his eyes for several seconds. After what felt like minutes, he decided to peak through his paws, and what he saw made him gasp.

His mother. He always thought she was beautiful, but now, it was even more so. Her red fur sparkled in the artificial sun light that dripped through the window. She had a fanged smirk, which was similar to his own. And her ocean blue eyes sparkled with happiness. Perhaps having her family together again had something to do with it?

No, he was positive that was the answer.

He turned to his father, who had a lopsided smirk, with his tongue hanging out. Once again, it resembled his own. And the same could be said for the fur, which also resembled Naruto's. A bright yellow. His snout was darker, almost a brown color. His blue eyes held a hint of mischief when he glanced over at Kushina. Her reddish brown tail swished back and forth, and those eyes followed the movement.

Naruto just smiled. _Now _they resembled a family. If only they could be in the real world with him.

He felt moisture swell up in his eyes, then a thought came up. It was already like they were right there. Never leaving him, and always by his side. Chastising him if he did something wrong. Teaching him their skills and other stuff he missed out on.

"Son," his father spoke, finally managing to tear his eyes from Kushina's tail. "We will always be here. Never again will we leave you."

"_Naruto! We're here." _Su's yell echoed around the room. Kushina smiled when she thought of the girl. Sure, she wouldn't mind if her and her son dated, but she could understand that he thought of her as the sister he never had, despite the advances Su _unknowingly _makes every now and then.

"Get out there, kick some ass and take names!" Minato yelled out with a fanged smirk, which Naruto mimicked. Coming into his mindscape actually made him feel a lot better, well, until his mother yelled out her contribution.

"And don't forget to find a girl!" Naruto only blushed. It reminded him of what Sakura told him.

"_...find your one true love in this world."_

He had to wonder, what was up with people trying to get him a girlfriend. Like that would ever happen! He had so much he wanted to do in this world. It was a new adventure and well, what happens, happens.

Before he vanished, he saw his father wink at him. It was his way of saying what Kushina just said, only with a more perverted meaning.

Coming back to his senses, he saw their destination. It was a fairly large village surrounded by mountains. According to his master, the Valley was surrounded by large mountains which help protect it. The village appeared to be much bigger than Konoha and the village he stayed out when he first arrived in this world. And the mountains, there was hardly any like them in his world.

And further up ahead, he saw a large temple. Swirls appeared in his eyes as he saw all the steps that lead up to it. Like hell he would ever climb that.

"_Woah... that would give someone a workout." _Minato whistled.

_Yeah. Bushy Brows would _love _that. _Naruto frowned. During that test, he was so stunned to see everyone, that he didn't say anything to Gaara or Tsunade. He noticed both were there and he saw the tears. Hopefully the Goddess will let him visit one of his friends again. Soon.

Once the three travelers entered the village inside the Valley of Peace, two of the three were awestruck as the sounds and smells entered their senses. The Village of Yang was just a peaceful farming place. A lone blacksmith, and some farmers, and that was it. Perhaps a few wondering swordsmen and the occasional kung fu traveler stopped at the village to relax for a few days.

Not that they're complaining. But when these new smells struck them, it felt strange, but amazing. From flowers to food.

Naruto was in heaven. Pure bliss. This place reminded him of Konoha. The smells. The sounds. Everything about it, except that there were no humans. He flicked his eyes around the village, and paused on several small rabbit children. They ran around the three all while laughing. He smiled.

"What do you think?" Panther decided to ask after a moment of walking.

The children ran off, but Naruto enjoyed watching them play kung fu. It reminded him of the game he used to play. Ninja.

"Lovely..." Su whispered in awe. Her eyes looked left, right, up and even down. She chuckled nervously as she almost stepped on some of the tinier beings. It wasn't really the buildings that made her look in awe, but everything else. The scenery was breathtaking, the streets were filled with people, and the unforgettable smells. She chuckled as her thoughts kept going back to the smells. _I wonder what type of food they have._

"_We're being followed," _Kushina announced.

Naruto nodded. His eyes caught sight of a figure behind them jumping around obstacles and people like a monkey. "I agree. Makes me... kinda homesick."

"Konoha?" Panther asked with a glance to his pupil.

"That, and our temple. Mostly the temple though." Naruto answered.

Su watched and studied his face. He was looking around at every movement in awe. His nose wrinkled at the smells. His ears twitched from the sounds. And his tongue poked out several times as if to taste the air. A soft smile grew on her face as she thought the same thing.

This could be a fun place to stay.

Nearby, a ghostly trail weaved and snaked through the citizens. Naruto's nose twitched as the smell entered his senses. It had a certain aroma to it. His stomach growled, which sounded more like a roar. Several people nearby were startled by it. He hadn't eaten in what felt like days.

Well, Su did cook some noodles when they camped out before reaching the Valley. But that felt so long ago...

He adjusted the backpack on his back. He was so excited about the whole journey, he forgot that he was pretty much carrying everyone's stuff. Su he could understand, but his master?

He shook the thought from his head, and glanced around for the source of the aroma. And then, it was as if he had a doujutsu. A white trail leading from his nose, all the way to its origin. A shop in the distance. A smile graced his muzzle, but for those watching, the glistening fangs made them turn white as a ghost.

"Ah, the Jade Palace." Panther mumbled as he stopped walking. His eyes narrowed. _Shifu._

"Um, master..." Su tapped his shoulder as the small animal started to laugh.

"Hmmm? Oh, right!" He shook his head, then cleared his throat. They were in the market area, and he could smell all kinds of food. He was practically salivating at the mouth. "Alright. We should get something to eat first." He looked around the market for a good place they could eat. Nearby was a shop that looked like a fish place. He continued to drool, but then shook his head. He should probably tell Naruto that this will be their new home for awhile. "Now, listen, Naruto..." He turned to his student, only to see an outline of where he stood.

"Huh?" Su turned her head every which way. The movement was like a white blur. "Wha-? Where did he go?"

_He did the same thing at the last village,_ Panther sniffed the air, and when a certain scent wafted through his nose, he immediately knew. Noodles. He sighed. The scent was overpowering. "Let him be. For now at least." He turned back around and started to head for the fish place. "Hopefully that kit will stay out of trouble."

"If you say so," whispered Su. She knew Naruto's stomach had a tendency to get him into trouble. She remembered one time he smelled something delicious while he was in the middle of an obstacle course, and he caused everything to somehow explode on his quest for the source.

Meanwhile, inside of Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop, well, it was now called _Dragon Warrior Noodles & Tofu_.

The place was pretty packed. It was usually slow, but today was special. Or make that, this week was. It was a festival week, and visitors from all over were swarming.

Po stood with a wide smile as he watched his customers. It seemed like every week that they had a festival. And he really enjoyed the Dragon Warrior Festival. A festival made just for him! But this festival was the Firefly festival. It was only the beginning of the festival, but towards the end, hundreds of fireflies will light up the skies.

"Sweeeee..." Po started to yell. In his paws were a stack of bowls. As he swerved around the customers, the stack wobbled. But when he made his way to the kitchen, his yell slowed to a crawl. His eyes saw a figure there. Tigress. She was in an apron, and on her face was a very bored look. "...eet. Oh, Tigress. You look..." He tossed several words around his mouth. _Okay? Scary beyond anything imaginable? Cute? _The left eye of the feline twitched. "...nice. Um, what's up?"

"Hurry, hurry!" Mr. Ping pushed past the two. A growl left Tigress' throat as her head met the ceiling. The place was small, after all. Ping grabbed a bowl from the counter and shoved it at the female tiger. "Number 5 needs his order! Go, go!"

"Fine..." Tigress grabbed the bowl, only to see Po still smiling widely. Him and that smile. If he wasn't the Dragon Warrior, she would extract her claws and let loose. But instead, she ducked her head and made her way outside. It was still packed, but not nearly as crowded as it was. She made a mental note to slap Po anyway.

_I should be training Not... _she sighed, _...waiting tables._ She set the bowl of noodles onto a table, and watched in disgust as the goose that ordered it slurp and slurp. Not that she hasn't seen her fair share of _table manners _at the Jade Palace. Even Monkey ate like a pig.

She was about to head back in to pick up another order, when she saw Po walk out. His arms were extended, and five bowls were balanced on each limb. And before she could blink, he slung each one upwards while that smile on his face grew wide. She was surprised the contents of the bowls didn't spill as they came down. Before they could hit the ground, Po whipped around and kicked the bowls back upwards.

The bowls flew high as Po kicked several more times. He was gently not to kick too hard, it was more like a tap. Her eyes caught his fast movements as he grabbed a bowl from midair and placed it before each customer. She smiled, well, an internal one. Po decided to make a boring job into an interesting training exercise. And without another thought, she placed the bowl onto the customer's table and headed back to the kitchen. Like hell she would do what Po was doing.

"One bowl, please." She heard from the counter. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the customer, but paid no mind.

"Here for the festival?" Mr. Ping asked as he poured the customer a bowl of noodles. It was rare that someone sat at the counter, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed the company. The figure's ear twitched as Mr. Ping placed the bowl before him.

"Festival? Oh, something like that." Naruto answered with a fanged smirk as he saw the bowl of noodles. As soon as Mr. Ping placed the chopsticks down, Naruto had grabbed them.

Ping's mouth dropped as he saw the young fox dig into the noodles. He chuckled sheepishly as it reminded him of a certain Dragon Warrior.

Deciding to tend to other customers, he poured another bowl, only for the fox to yell out, _More please!_

He blinked, then rubbed his eyes as he saw the empty bowl. Did he even _use _the chopsticks? Without thinking, he moved the bowl in front of the customer, only to watch him dig in with lightning speed. He was even forced to wipe the juice that splashed onto his face.

"Mr. Ping. Where is the bowl for table two?" Tigress asked as she walked through the kitchen, careful not to bump her head again. Ping looked at her confused, then looked at the bowl on the counter that was now almost empty, then back to Tigress, then back to the fox, then back down to the bowl. His eyes widened.

Tigress also saw the customer, but her eyes were on the blade on his back, under the backpack.

Naruto slurped the last noodle. He was unaware that he was being stared at, instead, he was savoring that noodle. It was different than Su's. It had a certain spice that he couldn't determine, but it didn't matter. It was still delicious. He debated if he should ask for another one.

"_Go for it." _Minato told him, but his mother on the other hand...

"_Boys..."_ She whispered, but she was completely alert. Looking for potential threats, and potential dates for her son. Her eyes immediately went to the waitress.

Tigress analyzed the fox as Mr. Ping placed _another _bowl before him. His ear twitched at every movement. But unfortunately, she didn't have time to study him.

"Master Tigress!" A customer called, which snapped the feline out of analyzing the fox.

"Po." Tigress said once she took the order from the customer. "What do you think?" She nodded to the counter, where Mr. Ping was chatting away with the customer.

"About my dad?" Po scratched his head. "Well, he is a tad bossy. I remember one time when-"

"No, the customer. Idiot." Tigress tried not to yell, or bare her fangs, lest she scare the customers. The fox wasn't normal, that much she could tell. And what was with the blade? Maybe she was just being paranoid? It was a festival week, and many travelers probably had weapons. She didn't see the fox's ear twitch as they talked.

"Maybe a carpenter?" Po answered with a shrug. "They've been known to carry, um, swords."

Tigress just looked at him. "A carpenter?" She looked back at the customer and noticed there was a growing stack of bowls. She glanced upwards, and saw Monkey there, staring at the target of her interest. "We should find out."

"I'm not attacking any customers." Several eyes turned to Po. He chuckled nervously. "...I promised dad."

"Where are you putting all that?" Mr. Ping asked, placing _another _bowl down, only to watch the young fox slurp it all up.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, everyone seemed to ask him that. "So, the Jade Palace is the one with the steps?" He hoped to avoid climbing those stairs. It's like they lead to the heavens.

"That's right," Po said as he entered the kitchen, and gently pushed his father to the side. "I live there, and-" He finally noticed the bowls stacked up. _T-twelve!_

Ping pushed his son away this time, then dusted himself off. "Looks like he's a few away from breaking your record."

Naruto placed some money on the counter. Luckily, he got paid to do a few odd jobs since he came to this world. From finding lost things to helping build a house. And then there was the times he got tricked into babysitting. He hoped to never deal with that again.

He swiveled around on the stool, only for his nose to hit something hard, well, it was both hard and soft. He blinked and took a glance upwards, into the orange eyes of the waitress. Her eye twitched.

"Ah, Naruto. Meet Tigress." Ping managed to introduce. He was the only one to ask for Naruto's name, so Po was confused about the name at first. Then they heard the unsheathing of claws.

* * *

Another AN: With that done, I probably need to work on Mystery Inc, since I left it on a cliffhanger. I have so _much _stories I need to work on. I constantly write, but my nerves keep me from actually posting. I have a few new stories in the works, but one I have trouble deciding if I should even post, despite me having fun writing it. The teaser of it should be in the latest chapter of Mystery Inc. I have a bunch of Disney crossovers I need to work on too. And be sure to check out Xamusel's fanfiction site, Xamuland. The link should be in my profile. It's small, and we hope to grow it, if Xamusel doesn't delete the archive _again_.


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